Signal-transmitting device.



F. M. MARSHALL.

SIGNAL TRANSMITTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION 'mzo DEC- 28. 1 911.

Patented Nov. 12, 191 8.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI T.

[NI EN TOR T M MF a I BY A TTORNEY F. M. MARSHALL.

S1GNAL TRANSMHTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 0126.28, 1911.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR.

INIJSSES; k w w 39 TMFMW BY 2&4 72W? ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK M. MARSHALL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN DISTRICT TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPO- RATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SIGNAL-TRANSMITTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

Original application filed October 25, 1916, Serial No. 127,700. Divided and this application filed December 28, 1917. Serial No. 209,336.

To all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I, FRANK M. MARSHALL, citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Los Angeles, California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal-Transmitting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in signal transmitting devices, and is particu larly intended for use in automatic sprinkler supervisory systems, or sprinkler alarm systems, as they are sometimes termed. My invention comprises improved means for controlling the operation of an automatic signal transmitter.

The object of my invention is to improve and simplify controlling means for automatic signal transmitters, particularly such signal transmitters as are adapted to be employed in sprinkler supervisory systems and the like.

I will now roceed to describe my invention with re 'erence to the accompanying drawings, illustratin one embodiment of my invention, and W111 then point out the novel features in claims.

In the said drawings:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a signal transmitter provided with my improved control device.

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the gear mechanism of the transmitter, the side of the case containing such mechanism having been removed together with the control mechanism itself.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the transmitter, on a smaller scale than the previous views; Fig. 4 shows a detailed elevation of the break wheel and contact-pen mechanism of the transmitter.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation illustrating how my control device may be operated by rotation of the valve stem; and Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating how my control device may be operated by a pressure-operated device/ The transmitter comprises, as is usual in such transmitters, a spring 1, provided with the usual winding stem 2, winding ratchet 3, and spring-actuated holding pawl 4, together with a main gear-r 5, arranged to be driven by that spring, and itself driving through suitable gears 6, 7 8, 9, and 10, a

gear 11 itself engaged by an escapement pawl 12, on a shaft 13, carrying a balance wheel 14. The shaft 13 carries a spur pinion 15 (Figs. 1 and 3) adapted to be engaged and held against rotation by an escapement anchor 16, pivotally mounted at 17 and controlled as hereinafter described. Theshaft 18 of pinion 8 and gear wheel 9 carrles the usual signal Wheel or break wheel 19 (Fig. 4) with which break wheel a sultable contact-pin mechanism engages. The particular contact-pen mechanism shown in Fig. 4 comprises a pen 20 controlling contacts 21 and 22; but the particular nature of this contact-pen mechanism is immaterial, in a general sense.

The escapement anchor 16 comprises two pallets 23 and 24, adapted to engage, alternately, the teeth of the escapement wheel 15. Upon one of the shafts of the gear train, for example the shaft 25 of pinion 6 and gear 7, are mounted two disks 26 and 27. The disk 26 is provided with a peripheral notch 28, adapted to receive normally the end of the set screw 29, carried by one arm of the escapement anchor 16. Except when this set screw is in the recess 28, it holds the pallet 23 out of engagement with the teeth of escapement wheel 15.

The other arm of the escapement anchor- 16 carries a set screw 30, adapted to enter a notch 31 of disk 27 when the escapement anchor 16 is moved upward, and when said notch 31 comes opposite the end of set screw 30. Except when the end of screw 80 enters this notch 31, pallet 24 cannot engage the teeth of escapement wheel 15.

The escapement anchor 16 is designed to be actuated by a suitable movable part of a valve or some other similar device to which the transmitter is applied; and it may be understood that either opening or closing of this valve (one, or the other, or both) will actuate a projection 32 of that escapement anchor in such manner as to raise such anchor from the normal position shown in Fig. 1. Since the driving spring 1 exerts normally a tendency to rotate the gear train, as soon as the'escapement anchor 16 is so raised as to free the teeth of escapement wheel 15 from pallet 23 and to free recess 28 from screw 29, the gear train will operate, so operating the break Wheel and contact mechanism 20, 21, 22 until, recess 31 having come opposite set screw 30, the pallet 2i enters recess between two teeth of escapement wheel 15 and set screw 30 enters notch 31, so arresting the motion of the gear train. The notch 31 is so positioned on the disk 27 with reference to the notch of disk and the gears of the train are so proportioned, that the rotation of the shaft 25 from the said starting position, to the said stopping position, is such that the break wheel 19 will make one (or several, as de sired,) complete rotations; transmitting the characteristic signal of the transmitter. For restoring the transmitter, the escap mcnt anchor 16 is depressed (by hand or otherwise) so freeing es-apenien wheel 15 from pallet 2 and permitting the gear train to operate until, recess 28 having come opposite screw pallet :23 may enter between two teeth of the escapement wheel 15, so arresting the clock train in normal position. The cscapen'ient anchor 16 is normally held in this depressed position by a spring 16. The member 32 may be understood to he a resilient member.

In Figs. and 6 I illustrate applications of my invention which will be.generally typical and will serve to indicate to those skilled in the art how the device is employed. in Fig. 5, 33 designates the stem or" a valve, which stem is provided with a fiattened surface in proximity to which lies the rod carried by a' diaphragm 36, in such manner that, in whichever direction the valve stem 33 is rotated, the rod 35 will be tilted somewhat (the flexible support of this rod by the diaphragm permitting such tilting motion) and thereby the rod will be caused to press upon the member of the escapement anchor, thereby causing the operation of the transmitter.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 6, a diaphragm 37, acted upon by pressure communicated by duct 38 from a pressure tank 39 or other suitable source, acts, through the stem lO, upon a. rocking lever ll, itself arranged to communicate motion to a weighted lever -22 having a cam head l3 of such form that whether that. lever e2 move up or down, the escapement anchor will be moved, and thereby the transmitter caused to operate.

This application is a division of my application, Eierial 127,700, filed October 25, 1916.

FVhat I claim is:

1. The combination with a signal transmitter comprising a gear train having means tending to cause it to operate, and having also an escapement wheel, of an escapement anchor having two pallets, one of which normally engages a tooth of that escapement wheel and thereby holds the gear train against operation, the other pallet of said escapement anchor adapted likewise to engage said escapement wheel and lock same, upon reversal of position of said anchor, and means preventing complete reversal of position of said anchor except in certain po sitions of a member of the gear train.

2. The combination with a signal transmitter comprising a gear train having means tendin to cause it to operate, and having also an escapement wheel, of an escapement anchor having two pallets, one of which normally engages a tooth of that escapement wheel and thereby holds the gear train against operation, the other pallet of said escapement anchor adapted likewise to ensaid escapement wheel and lock same, upon reversal of position of said anchor, elastic pressure means tending to hold the first mentioned pallet of that escapement anchor in engagement with said escapement wheel, and means preventing complete reversal of position of said anchor except in certain positions of a member of the gear train.

3. The combination with a signal trans mitter comprising a gear train having means tending to cause it to operate, and having also an escapement wheel, of an escapement anchor having two pallets, one of which normally engages a tooth of that escape ment wheel and thereby holds the, gear train against operation, the other pallet of said escapemeict anchor adapted likewise to en gage said escapement wheel and lock same, upon reversal of position of said anchor, and means rotatably mounted upon a member of said i1 train and engaging said anchor and preventing complete reversal of position of said anchor except in certain positions of said member of the gear train.

l. The combination with a signal transmitter comprising a gear train having means tending to cause it to operate, and having also an escapement wheel, of an escapement anchor having two pallets, one of which normally engages a tooth of that escapement wheel and thereby holds the gear train against operation, the other pallet of said escapement anchor adapted likewise to engage said escapement wheel and lock same, upon reversal or" position of said anchor, and two disks mounted upon a rotatable member of the gear train and recessed peripherally, said escapement. anchor having projections adapted to engage the said recesses of said disks, alternately, and thereby to prevent complete reversal of position of said anchor except in certain positions of said di ks and therefore of the member of the gear train by which said disks are carried.

5. The combination with a signal transmitter comprising a gear train having means tending to cause it to operate, and having also an escapement wheel, of an escapement anchor having two pallets, one of which normally engages a tooth of that escapement Wheel and thereby holds the gear train against operation, the other pallet of said escapement anchor adapted likewise to engage said escapement wheel and lock same, upon reversal of position of said anchor, and means preventing complete reversal of position of said anchor except in certain positions of a member of the gear train, said anchor provided with resilient means adapted to be acted upon for the reversal of position of said anchor.

6. The combination with a signal transmitter comprising a gear train having means tending to cause it to operate, and having also an escapement wheel, of a pivoted escapement anchor having two pallets, one of which normally engages a tooth of that escapement wheel and thereby holds the gear train against operation, the other pallet of said escapement anchor adapted likewise to engage said escapement wheel and lock same, upon reversal of position of said anchor, means preventing complete reversal of position of said anchor except in certain positions of a member of the gear tram, and

means adapted to act upon said anchor in a direction to move same about said pivot from one to the other of the extreme positions of said anchor.

7. The combination with a signal transmitter comprising a gear train having means tending to cause it to operate, and having also an escapement wheel, of an escapement anchor having two pallets, one of which normally engages a tooth of that escapement wheel and thereby holds the gear train against operation, the other pallet of said escapement anchor adapted likewise to engage said escapement wheel and lock same, upon reversal of position of said anchor, means preventing complete reversal of position of said anchor except in certain positions of a member of the gear train, a valve stem, and a member mounted to be moved npon rotation of such valve stem and arranged when so moved to act upon said anchor to reverse the position thereof.

8. The combination with a signal transmitter comprising a gear train having means tending to cause it to operate, and having also an escapement wheel, of an escapement anchor having two pallets, one of which normally engages a tooth of that escapement Wheel and thereby holds the gear train against operation, the other pallet of said escapement anchor adapted likewise to engage 'said escapement wheel and lock same, upon reversal of position of said anchor, means preventing complete reversal of position of said anchor except in certain positions of a member of the gear train, a valve stem, and a member mounted to be moved upon rotation of such valve stem and arranged when so moved to act upon a resilient member of said anchor to reverse the position of said anchor.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK M. MARSHALL.

Witnesses:

GLADYS L. SoPP, RAY S. BERRY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

